Erica Ash, comedian and ‘Mad TV’ star, dies at 46

LOS ANGELES — Erica Ash, an actor and comedian skilled in sketch comedy who starred in the parody series “Mad TV” and “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” has died. She was 46.

Ash died Sunday in Los Angeles because of cancer, according to her publicist and a statement by her mother, Diann. “Erica was an amazing woman and talented entertainer who touched countless lives with her sharp wit, humor, and genuine zest for life. Her memory will live eternally in our hearts,” the statement said.

Ash impersonated Michelle Obama and Condoleezza Rice on “Mad TV,” a Fox sketch series, and was a key performer on the Rosie O’Donnell-created series “The Big Gay Sketch Show.” Her other credits included “Scary Movie V,” “Uncle Drew” and the LeBron James-produced basketball dramedy “Survivor’s Remorse.”

On the BET series “Real Husbands of Hollywood,” Ash played the ex-wife of Kevin Hart’s character. Ash told the Los Angeles Times in 2017 that for awhile, the only roles she was offered were similar to that character, but she wanted to have a more varied career.

“I want to make choices based on what I want to read about myself when I’m older. For me, it’s just about growing and moving forward,” she told the Times.

She appeared in the Broadway production “Baby It’s You” and a touring production of “The Lion King.”

Ash attended Emory University to study medicine but took a break and went to Japan, where she performed and modeled and her career flourished.

“One thing led to another, so I tell people I’m the Forrest Gump of my field. I just blindly, by faith, walked through life and said ‘yes’ to things that were presented to me, and it led me here,” Ash told the Times.